WrestleMania 28 will bring many WWE superstars more fortune and exposure on one night than they have gotten in their entire careers. One would think that a big thank you to The Rock would be in order. Instead he is being rewarded with hostility and bitterness from his WWE peers.

Pro wrestling locker rooms can be a funny thing, especially some of the pettiness that spread over the dumbest issues imaginable. According to a report and an anonymous text message, there is a growing anti-The Rock sentiment growing in the locker room with many feeling that The Rock is appearing for selfish reasons, bumping someone off the show that should have earned the spot. In other words, these guys have lost their minds.

This isn’t a new story. Randy Orton made waves last year when he ripped The Rock for the very same thing when he was asked about The Rock appearing on WrestleMania 27. Once CM Punk began his “I’m not coming back to the WWE” media tour, he also began openly criticizing the WWE and The Rock for his red carpet treatment. Now a new report by my good buddy Mike Johnson over at PWInsider.com brings this locker room dirty laundry right back into the spotlight.

“He’s here for himself, he keeps to himself, and he keeps someone who’s actually touring here all year from making a bigger payday at the bigger shows. It’s all about making this the “biggest” Mania of all time. OK, then what do we do the rest of the year? Who’s been made? You think he took ANY blame for Survivor [Series] not drawing? Of course not, but how do you feud with a guy on the Titantron? Cena nailed the guy dead on tonight.”

That is just some of the text message Mike received. You can visit the site and read the rest but you get the idea. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer piggybacked on this on a recent F4Wonline.com podcast and revealed that there is a big segment of WWE talent in the locker room that share these very same feelings.

I think this is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever read. WrestleMania 27 drew over one million buys last year. Does anyone think that a WrestleMania featuring The Miz vs. John Cena without The Rock would have gotten anywhere near that number? Is there anything that the WWE has going right now that will draw anything close to the numbers that WrestleMania 28 will draw if it were on top over The Rock vs. John Cena? The shortsightedness here is just unbelievable.

I also find it ironic that while this large sentiment is reportedly growing, nobody has a problem with Chris Jericho, Triple H, or The Undertaker. Chris Jericho is rumored to be in for a short run before leaving to return to his Fozzy duties. The Undertaker has not wrestled this year, and if you look back at his last several WrestleMania matches, has done nothing to elevate new talent. Where is the hate there? How about Triple H jumping into the CM Punk program and now WrestleMania without helping anyone else? Where is the hate?

The biggest difference between those guys and The Rock is that The Rock will make a difference. That difference will equate to a much bigger payday for these guys for WrestleMania 28 in addition to added publicity and exposure for the brand. With all due respect, Drew McIntyre, Ezekiel Jackson, Santino Marella, or any other wrestler who loses a spot on WrestleMania wouldn’t make a darn bit of a difference to the wallets of these whiners.

I can understand the frustration of seeing a guy walk in and get the top spot, but at the end of the day this is a business. If these guys are so upset about this, go back and work the independent wrestling circuit where everyone gets a chance. Otherwise sit back, enjoy the show, and take advantage of the extra eyes and go show The Rock up in the ring in Miami. Either way you are still getting paid and that is really what matters most in this business.

And by the way. At least Randy Orton and CM Punk had the guts to own up to their statements.

Eric Gargiulo is the owner and editor-in-chief of the Camel Clutch Blog. Eric has worked in the pro wrestling industry since 1995 as a ring announcer in ECW and a commentator/host on television, PPV, and home video. Eric also hosted Pro Wrestling Radio on terrestrial radio from 1998-2009. Check out some of Eric's work on his IMDB bio and Wikipedia.